Refrigerator shelf structure



6 w. H. SNOWMAN REFRIGERATOR SHELF STRUCTURE File d NOV. 30, 1960INVENTOR WILLIAM H.8NOWMAN m4; ATTORNEY United rates harem 3,063,775 QREFRIGERATOR SHELF STRUCTURE H. Snowman, Columbus, Ohio, assignor toWest- :nghonse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 72,793 '2 Claims. (Cl.312-329) This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets, and moreparticularly to swing-out shelves therefor having provision for verticaladjustment of height.

One object of the present invention is to provide a swing-out shelf ofsimple, but rugged and dependable construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet of thetype set forth with an uncomplicated device of inexpensive constructionfor locking a swingout shelf in selected vertical position.

Briefly, in carrying out the objects of this invention in one embodimentthereof, a refrigerator cabinet wall structure defining a storagecompartment and an access opening thereto is provided with a verticalguide bar. The latter is secured to one of the side walls of thecabinet, and it is located within the compartment and adjacent theaccess opening. A shelf, including a horizontal :storage deck, isconnected at a front corner portion thereof to the guide bar by hingestructure which is virtically movable on the guide bar. The hingestructure includes a vertically extending pin journalled therein; andthe guide bar includes a vertical series of ratchet teeth facing towardthe pin. And loosely carried on the pin is a washer or the like,preferably dish shaped, which is movable into engagement with the teethto support the shelf in selected vertical position.

A shelf constructed according to the invention comprises spaced wiremembers defining the flat storage deck, and a generallyrectangular'frame carrying the storage deck in horizontal position. Theframe includes a generally U-shaped rod extending within the compartmentalong the rear and sides thereof; and it further includes an elongatedsupporting tube extending horizontally across the access opening andrigidly connected to the ends of the .U-shaped rod. The supporting tubeis rigidly connected at one end thereof to the hinge structure.

Other objects, and the various features and advantages of the inventionwill appear fromthe following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a refrigerator cabinetembodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of hinge and locking structure constructedaccording to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of thestructure of FIG. 2 in unlocked position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the structure shown inlocked position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the structure of FIG. 2, showing thestructure intermediate the unlocked and locked positions of FIGS. 3 and4.

The invention, as shown, has been applied to a refrigerator cabinethaving wall structure, including a side wall 12, defining a food storagecompartment 14 and a front access opening thereto lying in an uprightplane. A door 16 is suitably mounted on the cabinet 10, adjacent sidewall 12, for closing the access opening.

Disposed .within the compartment l4.are vertically spaced swing-outshelves 18 on which articles can be stored. Each shelf 18 is supportedat a front corner portion thereof, through hinge structure 20, on avertically extending guide bar 22. Thelatter is rigidly secured to theside wall 12 within the compartment 14 and adjacent the access opening.Since each shelf 18 and .locking ring 48.

ice

'2 its associated parts are structurally representative of the other,only one will be described in detail.

The guide bar 22 includes a base 24 by which the bar is secured to theside wall 12; and it also includes a vertically elongated guide portion26 of T-shaped cross section.

Comprising part of the hinge structure 20, and carried on the guideportion 26, is a slide 28 which has a recess 30 corresponding in shapeto the T shape of the guide portion. The latter is received in therecess 30; and their horizontally interlocking formations restrain themagainst relative horizontal movement, although the slide 28 is movablein vertical direction on the guide portion.

Further included in the hinge structure 20 is a U-shaped bracket 34. Thelatter includes an upright intermediate portion 36, and upper and lowerarms 38 and 40, respectively. The slide 28 is received between the arms38 and arm 40 of bracket 34, and a vertically extending pin 42 having anenlarged head 44 at the upper end thereof extends downwardly through andbeyond the slide 24 and the arms 38 and 4% so as to connect themtogether in hinged relationship, the pin being journalled on a verticalaxis. The lower end of pin 42 extends an appreciable distance below thelower arm 40 of the bracket 34 and is provided adjacent the lower endthereof with an annular groove in which is received a resilient Thelocking ring 48 and the head 44 secure the pin 42 in place relative tothe slide 28 and the bracket 34.

As best seen in FIG. 1,'the main supporting member of shelf 18 is ahorizontally extending tube 49 which. is rigidly connected to theintermediate portion 36 of the bracket 34, as by brazing. It iscontemplated that the shelf 18 will be movable upwardly and downwardlyin the compartment 14, being guided by the guide bar 22 so that it willremain in a horizontal position therein, thus insuring that articlesstored on'the shelf 18 will not be upset when the height of the shelf ischanged. Furthermore, movement of the shelf 18and its associatedhinge'structure 20 beyond either end of the guide bar 22 runs the slide28 ofi the end of the guide portion 22, thereby disengaging shelf 18from the guide bar 22 and permitting the removal of the shelf from thecompartment-14 without upsetting the stored articles. Thisis animprovement over prior art arrangements which required the shelf to betilted before removal could be accomplished, and hence made it necessaryto empty the shelf before removing it.

A dished washer '50 is loosely carried on the pin 42 between the arm 40and the locking ring-4$. The washer 50 can be formed from sheet materialto have a circular periphery, and it has a circular opening in a centralregion thereof which is larger in diameter than the cross-sectionaldiameter of the pin 42 but smaller than the outside diameter ofthelocking ring 48. In its position between ring 48' and lower. arm 4%,the Washer 50 provides, not only a smooth bearing surface for thebracket 34, but also a'means for supporting and locking the 'hingestructure 20 in a selected one of various vertical positions. To thisend, the Washer 50 is associated with a series of vertically spacedratchet teeth 54 formed on the surface of guide portion 26 which facesthe pin 42' It will be noted that the upper surface of the dished washer5% is convex and the lower surface thereof is concave. This constructionpermits the washer 50 to he tilted relative the rest of the hingestructure 20 and also to the guide bar 2'2, so that the edges thereofadjacent the teeth are at various angular inclinations to thehorizontal; and this varies the distance the washer extends betweenthe'pin 42 and the teeth 54, either into or out of engagement.

Stated another way, there are edge portions of the washer 50 disposed onopposite sides of the central opening therein, one portion extendingtoward the teeth 54 and the other portion extending away from the teeth.And, since the washer 56 is dish-shaped, the oppositely extendingportions are disposed in upwardly converging relation to each other.With this arrangement movement of one portion of the Washer into agreater angular inclination with the horizontal moves the other portionmore nearly into a horizontal attitude and toward engagement with theteeth 54.

When the mechanism is in locked position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, theedge portion of the washer 50 adjacent the teeth 54 extends nearlyhorizontally between an adjacent pair of teeth and rests on thelowermost of them. It will be noted that in this position the lower arm40 of the bracket 34 bears downwardly against the upper, convex surfaceof the washer 50, tending to pivot the washer counterclockwise, as shownin the drawing, about the edge thereof engaging the teeth '54. Thiscounterclockwise moment is resisted by the pin 42 engaging the concaveside of the washer 50, and the locking ring 48 assists in this regard.

Still referring especially to FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be noted that, fromthe weight of the shelf 18 and contents, a counterclockwise moment aboutthe washer is applied to the hinge structure 20, this moment beingresisted by the interlocking formations between the T-shaped recess 30of the slide 28 and the guide portion 26. It can'be seen, therefore,that the locking device positively holds the shelf 18 and its associatedhinge structure 20 against downward movement, and that the lockingdevice cooperates with the slide 28 to hold the shelf 18 in horizontalposition.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the washer 50 is in a neutral or intermediateposition when it is supported solely by the locking ring 48; and in thisposition it will be noted that the edge portion of the washer 50 closestto the teeth 54 is in slightly horizontally overlapping relationshipwith the teeth 54. This provision ensures that the washer 50 will engagethe teeth 54 during vertical movement, so that even if the washer 50should be accidently dislodged from a locked position the downwardmovement of the hinge structure 20 and engagement of the washer with oneof the ratchet teeth will cause the shelf to be locked again, but at alower height. This provision also permits the shelf 18 to be movedupwardly to a higher position without having to touch the washer 50,since initial upward movement of the shelf 18 moves the washer 50 fromthe locked position of FIGS. 2 and 4 to the neutral position of FIG. 5;then during upward movement of the shelf 18 the washer 50 is deflectedtoward the unlocked position of FIG. 3 by contact with the teeth 54;and, upon releasing the shelf 18, the device will automatically lock.

If it is desired to reduce the height of the shelf 18, positive actionis required to unlock the device. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the usermerely applies an upward force to the left-hand edge portion of thewasher 50, that is, the edge portion which is opposite the edge portionengaged by the teeth 54. This action disengages the washer 50 from theteeth 54 and requires only a small amount of manual elfort, since thearrangement of parts provides leverage with an appreciable amount ofmechanical advantage. Note that the fulcrum in this leverage system, thepoint where the washer engages the lower bracket arm 40, is much closerto the right-hand edge of the Washer than the left-hand edge.

The unlocking action of FIG. 3 moves the left-hand edge of the washer 50toward a horizontal attitude; and it also moves the right-hand edge ofthe washer downward and toward the left, so that it makes a greaterangular inclination to the horizontal than previously. As a result ofthis movement, the right-hand edge portion of the washer 50 previouslyheld captive is released and the hinge structure 20 is free to move invertical direction. The device is held in unlocked position while theshelf 18 is lowered to the desired height. And then the device is againlocked, either automatically, by releasing the washer 5t} and furtherlowering the shelf slightly as previously set forth, or manually. Manuallocking is accomplished by depressing the left-hand edge of the washer50, as shown in FIG. 4, to move the right-hand edge of the washer intolocking engagement with the teeth 54.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the shelf 18 is of open-work construction,preferably being rigidly made of metal parts brazed together. As viewedwholly within the compartment 14, the shelf 18 includes a multiplicityof spaced wire members 58 extending from front to rear, to define a fiatstorage deck. The latter is supported at or adjacent its edges inhorizontal position by a frame comprising a U-shaped rod 60 and thesupporting tube 49. The U-shaped rod 60 and the tube 49 generally form arectangle, with the rod 60 extending within the compartment 14 along thesides and rear thereof, and the tube 49 extending horizontally acrossthe access opening. Of course, the tube 49 is positioned in the accessopening so that it will not be contacted by the door 16 when it is inclosed position.

Horizontal cross bars 62 extend parallel to the tube 49, and they arejoined to the U-shaped rod 60 to support the wire members 58intermediate the ends thereof. It is also preferred that means beprovided to prevent stored items from falling off the storage deck; andto this end, a guard rail 64, fixedly secured to the U-shaped rod 60,extends along the rear and side edges of the storage deck and above thelevel thereof.

The end of the tube 49 closest to the side wall 12 is rigidly connectedto the upright intermediate portion 36 of the bracket 34, as by brazing,the bracket portion 36 being provided with suitable formations forlocating and positioning the tube 49 thereon.

The ends of the U-shaped rod 60 are rigidly connected to opposite endportions of the tube 49. The connections can be made in any suitablemanner directly to the tube 49 in practicing the invention, but it ispreferred that brazed connections be made, as shown. That is, the end ofthe U-shaped rod 60 and the corresponding end of the guard rail 64 areconnected to the bracket 34. And the bracket 34, in turn, is connectedto the tube 49. The other end of the rod 60, and also the other end ofthe guard rail 64, are rigidly connected to a rigid plate 66 carried atthe free end of the tube 49. The connection between the plate 66 and thetube 49 is a rigid one so that these parts will experience neitherrelative torsional movement, nor relative linear movement. Likewise, theconnection between the hinge bracket 34 and the end of tube 49 closestto, side wall 12 is equally capable of resisting all kinds of relativemovement. The diameter of the tube 49 is at least twice that of the rod60, preferably being in the order of 4 inch diameter for a length ofabout 2 feet. The open ends of the tube 49 are preferably closed byplugs 70 which keep the interior thereof free from dirt and moisture.

By employing a relatively large diameter tube 49 instead of a smalldiameter rod, as is done in the prior art, the weight of the shelf andany contents thereon is easily carried by the tube 49 as a torsionalload acting about its longitudinal axis. And with this arrangement, theauxiliary braces or spiders extending from the hinge structure of olderswing-out shelf structures are no longer required, with the result thatcost, required space, and complexity of manufacture are reduced.

Additionally, a device for locking a swing-out shelf in a selected oneof various vertical positions has been provided which not only isrugged, dependable and effective, but also is of unusually andattractively simple construction.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various changes and modifications without departing fromthe spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator cabinet having a plurality of walls including sidewalls defining a storage compartment and an access opening thereto, avertical guide bar secured to one of said side walls within saidcompartment and adjacent said access opening, said guide bar having avertically extending series of ratchet teeth formed on a surface thereofwhich faces away from said one side wall, a horizontal shelf, hingestructure including a bracket which is rigidly secured to a front cornerportion of said shelf and having upper and lower horizontal arms, aslide disposed at least partly between said arms and having a recessformed therein adapted to receive said guide bar in horizontallyinterlocking relationship, said slide being movable on said guide bar invertical directions, a pin extending vertically through the arms of saidbracket and said slide so as to connect them together in hingedrelationship, and a washer loosely mounted on a lower portion of saidpin below said bracket, said washer being tiltable between a lockingposition in which its edge is engageable with said ratchet teeth and anadjusting position wherein its edge is disengaged from said teeth, thedownwardly directed weight of said shelf and said hinge structure beingtransmitted through said washer to said teeth when said washer is insaid locking position. A

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said Washer is dish-shapedwith a convex upper surface and a concave lower surface.

References Cited .in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS85,863 Sible Jan. 12, 1869 477,291 Bomar June 21, 1892 2,867,096Rosebrook et al. J Jan. 6, 1959 2,955,892 Pulaski et a1 Oct. 11, 1960

